Rear bench won’t go back

[Shane080775]

Hello all, first problem I’ve encountered with my Cali. Moved the 2-seater bench forward to try out setting up the bed. It now won’t move back! I can hear the release latch activating but the bench seem to be solidly stuck in the forward position. Anybody else had this?

I had this you have to take the Draw out and take the panel off on the side of seat and it will be a little plastic clip has come off

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

have you tried sticking a long screwdriver through that little hole you can see when you open the side door and jiggling it about?

View attachment 69311

No such hole on mine. Waiting on the dealer fix now anyway.

 

[podge]

We had this problem and the 2 seat bench wouldn’t move at all in our van.

Took it to the dealers and they apparently replaced the bench, but this wasn’t at fault as the issue came back.

Turned out that a screw from the factory had made its way into one of the channels that the seat rollers sit on.

How they got it out, no idea as it was properly jammed.

What we had found is that after a random driving session we could sometimes move the seat, and we may have been able to recover the screw ourselves with a tactical piece of rubber tubing attached to a hoover and inserted into the channel may have brought it out. We clean down these channels this way now to try and keep debris out and preemptively stop it from happening again..

Good luck! An annoying issue for sure.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

We had this problem and the 2 seat bench wouldn’t move at all in our van.

Took it to the dealers and they apparently replaced the bench, but this wasn’t at fault as the issue came back.

Turned out that a screw from the factory had made its way into one of the channels that the seat rollers sit on.

How they got it out, no idea as it was properly jammed.

What we had found is that after a random driving session we could sometimes move the seat, and we may have been able to recover the screw ourselves with a tactical piece of rubber tubing attached to a hoover and inserted into the channel may have brought it out. We clean down these channels this way now to try and keep debris out and preemptively stop it from happening again..

Good luck! An annoying issue for sure.

Thanks for that. No idea what the issue is on my van and what parts the dealer is replacing but once it’s fixed and based on your experience I’ll regularly hoover the channels. Good tip.

 

[David Kelly]

Never had that problem, so it's none of my worries.
As far as I am concerned, I have no worries when taking off.
What happens will happen, but I am not worrying about what could eventually happen if/when/for whatever reason.
If you have worries or concerns, get it checked so you can get on holidays without worries.

I love your positive outlook Triplebee and share it most of the time.
There is little point being stressed about things that you cannot influence and no point being stressed about things that are not going to happen.
Setting off is full of possibilities and whatever happens may have beneficial or adverse results for you and something different for others.
Sitting in a lotus position chanting Om can be difficult if you have a deadline to meet and your bench/roof refuse to move.
Good luck with Citygate GG
‍

I love your positive outlook Triplebee and share it most of the time.
There is little point being stressed about things that you cannot influence and no point being stressed about things that are not going to happen.
Setting off is full of possibilities and whatever happens may have beneficial or adverse results for you and something different for others.
Sitting in a lotus position chanting Om can be difficult if you have a deadline to meet and your bench/roof refuse to move.
Good luck with Citygate GG
‍♀

The emoji should have been someon sittin in the Lotus position!

 

[Paul S]

Thanks Kurienp, I’ll have another look but everything seems to totally enclosed. The guys at Citygate were investigating for well over an hour yesterday and I know they had the seat cushion up, so I’m assuming it’s not just the spring? They’ve ordered parts which also suggests a failure of some sort.

Probably a good 45 minutes of that was them actually working out how to get access because they’ve never had to do it before. As posted earlier “component failure” is far more likely to be incorrectly assembled in the first place. It happens, sadly. It shouldn’t, but its always been a thing, probably always will be.

 

[westfalia]

No such hole on mine. Waiting on the dealer fix now anyway.

That hole is used if you want to remove the bench seat,
they might have made it easier on the T6.1.

 

[Paul Grice]

Erm... there might be a misunderstanding here that has foxed a few of us... and the dealers generally have no idea.

IMPORTANT

The handle that you pull on to make the seat fold flat is different to the release catch that you pull to allow the whole seat slide backwards and forwards on the rails. The former is horizontal black handle. There latter is a kind of "flippy catch thingy". Caught me out a few times.

To complicate things, the bench seat only slides backwards and forwards along the rails when it is in the folded flat "bed" mode..... Sliding the whole seat backwards or forwards on the rails is therefore a three stage process: 1) You pull out the horizontal larger handle that enables allow you to fold the seat back flat, and then actually fold the seat back flat. When you have down that then: 2) Pull the other smaller rectangular release catch which allows you to slide the whole thing forward or backwards on the rails and then 3) You pull on that first handle again the put the the seat backrest back into the upright position.

Maybe you knew this but when you write that the seat is stuck in the "forward" position I think you mean the whole bench is nearer the front of the van..... I think some of the people reading and offering advice think you mean that the back is folded down in the "folded forward" position. I could of course be wrong but when I went to the dealers to buy mine they had no idea that you had to fold the seat into the folded position before you can operate the other catch that slides the whole bench backwards and forwards. Hope that made sense Good luck

 

[westfalia]

The bench slides whilst upright too.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Hi Paul,
No, in the 6.1 you pull on a webbing strap between the seat belts to lay the seat down into the bed position. However, you obviously can’t do that until the seat has been moved forward because of the board at the back. To move the seat forward you use the handle at the front of the bench seat (drivers side)

 

[andyinluton]

Grumpygrandad has the 2 seat bench which can be moved whether upright or folded down & doesn’t fold forward It’s only the 3 seater that does that.

 

[Paul Grice]

Hello all, first problem I’ve encountered with my Cali. Moved the 2-seater bench forward to try out setting up the bed. It now won’t move back! I can hear the release latch activating but the bench seem to be solidly stuck in the forward position. Anybody else had this?

Hello all, first problem I’ve encountered with my Cali. Moved the 2-seater bench forward to try out setting up the bed. It now won’t move back! I can hear the release latch activating but the bench seem to be solidly stuck in the forward position. Anybody else had this?

Hi Paul,
No, in the 6.1 you pull on a webbing strap between the seat belts to lay the seat down into the bed position. However, you obviously can’t do that until the seat has been moved forward because of the board at the back. To move the seat forward you use the handle at the front of the bench seat (drivers side)

Ah I see ... oh well good luck

 

[Perfectos]

The three seat bench can be moved whilst in the seating position or laid flat or folded forward

 

[Milton]

Don't know if it is any help but I had the same problem a few weeks back and found that the retain bolt located in the floor rail behind the seat had come loose and jammed. This prevents the seat from going back the whole length of the rail. Managed to unscrew it and slide it back. Found this picture on the website of what it looks like. Believe that there is one to the front as well.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Don't know if it is any help but I had the same problem a few weeks back and found that the retain bolt located in the floor rail behind the seat had come loose and jammed. This prevents the seat from going back the whole length of the rail. Managed to unscrew it and slide it back. Found this picture on the website of what it looks like. Believe that there is one to the front as well.

View attachment 69387

Thanks Milton. Will double check.

 

[Karlos]

Thanks Milton. Will double check.

GD when the fridge on my brand new Cali started switching off for no reason. The supplying dealer fixed with a new replacement fridge and offered me £250 worth of VW accessories as an apology, something to think about.

Hope it's sorted quickly.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

I know this my new obsession but slid a WiFi endoscope in the left and right hand channels from both front and rear. Interesting because I could see what wasn’t working when I lifted the handle to move the seat.

I know this my new obsession but slid a WiFi endoscope in the left and right hand channels from both front and rear. Interesting because I could see what wasn’t working when I lifted the handle to move the seat.

In the first three pictures the black component moved clear of the cogged rack. In the last picture it didn’t move at all. It the one at the rear on the passenger side.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

I know this my new obsession but slid a WiFi endoscope in the left and right hand channels from both front and rear. Interesting because I could see what wasn’t working when I lifted the handle to move the seat.

View attachment 69407View attachment 69408View attachment 69409View attachment 69410


In the first three pictures the black component moved clear of the cogged rack. In the last picture it didn’t move at all. It the one at the rear on the passenger side.

Spoke to Citygate this morning. Apparently most of the parts are in but they're waiting on a panel?! Cant imagine what ‘most of the parts’ are, nor what the panel is for? They're expediting so hopefully they’ll crack on with the fix soon.

 

[Karlos]

Spoke to Citygate this morning. Apparently most of the parts are in but they're waiting on a panel?! Cant imagine what ‘most of the parts’ are, nor what the panel is for? They're expediting so hopefully they’ll crack on with the fix soon.

Have they said how long they will want your Cali for GG.

 

[pjduffill]

I‘m emersed in this post awaiting the next episode. This would make an excellent “Netflix” series!

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

I‘m emersed in this post awaiting the next episode. This would make an excellent “Netflix” series!

Haha

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Have they said how long they will want your Cali for GG.

No but Cliff said it would be a ‘mission’ !
I’m intrigued as to exactly what has failed. If I was a betting man i’d put my money on the linkage between the front and rear release mechanism has detached. But that wouldn’t be a mission to fix.

 

[Skootyalan]

The endoscope was a brilliant idea! Good luck with the resolution. I hope to collect our new van on Wednesday? Seems they are still working during Lockdown 2. So, I'll be trying to sliding seat before I leave the dealer.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

The endoscope was a brilliant idea! Good luck with the resolution. I hope to collect our new van on Wednesday? Seems they are still working during Lockdown 2. So, I'll be trying to sliding seat before I leave the dealer.

Yes, check as much as you can when collecting. I did slide the bench seat forward and back a little on collection but didn’t bring it all the way forward and lower into the bed position. Did that after a few days and that’s when the problem showed itself. Anyway, who knows, very unusual issue. My checklist attached if it’s of any use.

 

[Skootyalan]

This is very good and very thorough. Many thanks. I can see it may take a while to do the handover!